This invention relates to improvements in wheelchair lift devices to aid persons in the boarding and exiting of a van-type passenger vehicle. There exist a number of different vehicle-mounted boarding aids for use by handicapped persons who cannot ascend or descend from a vehicle in a normal manner. These devices, in general, employ the use of an elevator platform that can be raised or lowered between an inside passenger deck level and an adjacent ground level or curb.
A handicapped passenger in a wheelchair is generally required to position himself/herself upon an elevator platform for lowering to a curb or road surface during the exit from a vehicle. Elevator platforms require an automatic safety barrier which prevents a wheelchair from inadvertently rolling off the elevator ramp during use of the wheelchair lift device. The elevator platforms as known expose an individual to a risk of injury caused by inadvertent rolling of the wheelchair off an elevator ramp.
The risk of a wheelchair inadvertently rolling off the ramp of a wheelchair lift device is significantly increased when a vehicle is parked on a non-flat surface such as a hill. Individuals frequently are required to disembark from a transit vehicle while parked on a hill surface. The inclusion of an automatic safety barrier, which functions as a safety stop, will significantly improve the utility of a wheelchair lifting device to an individual.
The present invention provides a device for facilitating the entrance and exit of handicapped persons into or from a vehicle, by significantly improving the safety of a wheelchair lift device. The invention eliminates risks attributable to a wheelchair inadvertently rolling off an elevator ramp mechanism during use.
The wheelchair lifting devices as known do not provide a convenient latching mechanism for affixing an unfolded platform to a hydraulic frame during the elevation or descent of a wheelchair from a transit vehicle. The latching mechanisms used to affix the two portions of an unfolded frame together generally include complicated latch levers and locks. These devices are difficult to manipulate by an individual confined to a wheelchair. The present invention significantly improves the access to, and use of, a latching mechanism for coupling a platform to the frame of a hydraulic lift. The present invention positions the handle for the latching mechanism at a convenient location on the exterior of an unfolded elevator platform. The latch of the present invention is positioned upon the side of the elevator platform for manipulation by an individual from a wheelchair. The utility of the latching mechanism to an individual is thereby significantly enhanced.